We are not so different, you and I
by NGBlue
Summary: "Cut off his hand." "Your Highness!" Emma narrowed her eyes and tilted her head towards the side and at the Captain of the Guard. "Is there a problem?" (Evil!Emma AU story for SQ-week)


_**A/N:**__ For the sake of this story, that's very AU, assume Emma is only a little younger than Regina. Also this is way out of my comfort zone, but I did try, and I had fun writing it, so hey._

* * *

"Cut off his hand."

"Your Highness?!"

Emma narrowed her eyes and tilted her head towards the side and at the Captain of the Guard. "Is there a problem?"

"I.."

Maxwell wiped his brow and stared at the scrawny one-handed man shackled between two of his guardsmen. He was sweating profusely and Emma made a face upon seeing the beads of sweat on his forehead. He was starting to get a bit too much on her nerves lately, what with all of his questioning of the decisions she made. That and someone a bit more..pleasant to the eyes would be a welcome change. Emma grinned toothily as she worked out a early retirement plan for her Captain dearest.

"No.." Maxwell scraped his throat audibly. "There's no problem."

"You can't do this." The thief wrestled himself loose from the guards grasp and dropped down on his knees. "Please..not my hand…"

"Perhaps you should've thought of this before you went back to stealing?"

"Please?" He was crying audibly now. "I'll do anything…"

Emma snorted and waved dismissively with her hand. "As if there is anything you could offer me. Guards, take this pathetic lowlife out of my sight." As he continued to plead as they dragged him away she growled lowly under her breath. "Oh, and if he keeps that up..feel free to take out his tongue as well."

She thanked the Gods that there were only a few criminals awaiting judgment, soon there wouldn't be enough hours of sunlight left in the day to enjoy a ride through the countryside on her favorite stallion. How her parents were ever able to do this every other day was beyond her. Most of these criminals were scum and truly deserved nothing less than the gallows. The thought of her parents and how they would disapprove of her justice soured her mood considerably. As if they would ever approve of anything she did.

If it wasn't for the fact they weren't able to have more children, she was sure they would've sent her away someplace where she wouldn't have been a thorn in their sides. As it stood, a small fiefdom that she could rule over by herself was as much as they would offer her. Emma wondered, briefly, if the only reason they gave her the fiefdom was to keep her busy, teach her responsibilities. But then she scoffed at the thought.

Scraps, mere scraps. She was destined for things much greater than this, and no one, not even her beloved parents would be able to keep her from achieving her goals.

"Princess?"

The title immediately made Emma's head snap up and glare murderously at the person that had dared utter it. One day it would be Queen, and until that day arrived she refused to be reminded about her current title, about the way her parents were holding her back.

"Graham?"

He seemed to realize his mistake immediately at least, like the good little puppy she had trained him to be.

"My apologies." He kneeled to one knee in front of her throne. "Forgive me, Your Highness."

"Of course my pet," she muttered sweetly as she placed the tips of two fingers below his chin and tilted it up. "Do be warned though, that another slip-up will have far more dire consequences, are we clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness." he answered obediently, his eyes briefly finding hers then lowering again.

If it wasn't for the fact that she knew he had called her Princess for many years before being sent to accompany her to this fiefdom, she would've had him decapitated already. But then, she thought as she motioned for him to stand up again, he was the ever loyal servant and she would be hard-pressed to replace him.

Now as he stood upright again, she noticed there was a certain air of nervousness surrounding him and it piqued her curiosity right away. Usually, it was nothing good. Usually, she thought as she dug her fingernails in the hardwood of her throne, it had to do with her parents.

"You have another visitor," Graham announced. "He was sent here by the King and Queen."

"Of course he was," Emma hissed. "Feel free to send him back again, just like the last dozen they've sent over. You can attach a letter to him before you kick him out again; that the next potential suitor will be sent back without his head attached."

"Perhaps a kinder phrasing would be wise?" Graham suggested.

"I think I've been kind enough to suffer through their obnoxious meddling for this long, wouldn't you agree?"

He nodded, "Your Highness…"

"Next prisoner?"

The guards near the back of the room shoved a woman forward. She stumbled a little then fell on the ground with a grunt and Emma sighed as she took in the woman's attire. Dirty clothes, even her hair looked like a rat's nest. It wasn't until the woman's head moved up, and expressive brown eyes briefly locked onto Emma's own, that Emma felt a little intrigued, instead of the usual boredom. But then the woman bent her head back back down and Emma ticked her nails against the throne as she called out for the guards to state the accused's crime.

"Regina. Poaching on the Royal hunting grounds, Your Highness."

Definitely more intrigued than bored. "Truly?" She questioned out loud. This woman barely looked fit enough to lift a bow, let alone draw one.

"She was caught attempting to skin a shot deer."

"I see." Emma turned to the woman as she steepled her fingers in her lap. "And you have nothing to say to defend yourself?"

"No, Your Highness," came the soft meek response. It made Emma frown while wishing she was able to see the woman's brown eyes again.

"You do realize, Regina." Emma said as she chuckled, "that the punishment for poaching on the Royal hunting grounds is death by hanging, don't you, hm?"

"No!" The woman's head went up lightning-fast, and there was an terrified expression on her dirt-streaked face. "I don't want to die. Please, have mercy.."

"Mercy?" Emma snorted in amusement at the word, "now where would be the fun in that. Guards," she snapped her fingers, "this woman has an appointment with the gallows at dawn."

Emma grinned at Graham as he watched the guards drag the struggling woman away. "You know she has really pretty eyes, don't you think, pet?"

"Hmm," he hummed and nodded.

"A shame we won't be able to see them tomorrow during the hanging though," Emma mused as she tapped her chin. "A properly dragged out death-struggle is always such a joy to watch." She stared at the door and the last 2 prisoners and rolled her eyes heavenwards. "Pity. Next prisoner!" she yelled out.

* * *

Emma stretched her arms outwards as she stood up from her bed. As was her morning ritual, she walked to the window that gave a decent sight on the gallows. Her parents would probably call this morbid, Emma thought as she smirked, she merely found it fascinating. Watching the row of dead criminals hanging on their nooses, as they would for at least another hour more, as a warning-sign to others before being cut down.

There was power in this. In being the one that got to decide their fates. In being the one that got to condemn them to their deaths. But there was a limit to it as well. And these limits were the boundaries of her territory.

"If I might say, I do find your choice of bed-chambers a bit too..girly for my tastes," a voice rang out behind her and Emma jumped up in surprise.

"What.." Emma trailed off as she spied the woman clad in a long black dress that trailed across the ground. "Who are you?!" Then as an afterthought, she prepared to call out for the guards she knew should've been right outside her quarters.

Only to find she was unable to. Not only had she lost her voice, but she was rooted to the ground to boot. Emma's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the woman standing opposite of her.

"Tut tut, dear, we do not want those lumbering oafs to interrupt this little tete-a-tete now do we?"

Emma struggled against the invisible bonds, panicking as she realized just who this woman was that had invaded her chambers.

"I assume you've heard rumors of me? As I've heard of you, my dear. And might I say, you are quite the remarkable young little thing." The woman, who Emma had recognized as the same one she had condemned to the gallows the day before, leaned in towards her. "Though I do prefer you a little more..talkative." A hearty chuckle followed and Emma glared murderously in response. "Now now..none of that, how about you hear me out first before you attempt to sick your useless lapdogs on me, does that sound alright to you, hm? I can assure you Emma, that I could end their pathetic little lives with just a flick of my wrist, so I think it would be in the best interest for all involved if you would listen to what I have to say."

Emma stubbornly glared at the woman a few seconds more but then closed her eyes and opened them again, knowing it was enough to signal her consent.

With a flick of a wrist she was free, and Emma worked her jaw and swiped her tongue across her palate.

"I assume you have a lot of questions, so out with it Princess."

"Don't.." Emma growled, her nostrils flaring with anger, "call me that."

"Oh touched a nerve there did I?" Regina merely seemed amused and it aggravated Emma to no end. But at the same time..at the same time she was intrigued.

"What was with all the deception yesterday?" Emma questioned. She was well aware she was still in her sleep-wear and she had even caught the witch's eyes straying across her body a few times, but she refused to cover herself up. It would be seen as a sign of weakness, and she was determined not to show any in the presence of this woman.

"One can only assume so much from rumors, dear." Regina cocked her head and slowly circled Emma. "I had to see what you were capable of for myself. I had to see how far you would be willing to go."

"Is that so?" Emma more stated than asked. "So you were what..testing me?"

"I suppose I was. I know for certain your parents would never execute someone for an offense like poaching, even on Royal grounds."

"Yes well.." Emma said as she pursed her lips, "I'm nothing like my parents."

"Indeed you aren't."

"How about we just cut to the chase then, witch?" Emma said in an almost haughty tone. "What is the real reason you are seeking me out."

"Perhaps because I believe you have potential. I do admire people who have ambition, and well..these rumors I've heard have lead me to believe you are quite the ambitious young lady."

Regina stopped right in front of Emma and brushed her knuckles across one of Emma's cheeks. "Pleasing to the eyes as well."

Emma wanted to reach up and yank the hand resting against her cheek away, but found herself unable to do so. She was completely captivated by the brown eyes boring into her own, and off her own accord she found her sight drawn to Regina's lips. There was no way this had escaped Regina's notice, but instead of any mocking remarks she found Regina studying her quietly for a moment before stepping out of her personal space again.

"It must bother you so much though.." Regina trailed off, her voice sultry sweet, "to be limited to such a small slice of territory. You deserve more..you want more, don't you dear?"

Emma crossed her arms and merely stared passively at Regina. "That's quite the carrot you're dangling there..you must think me to be incredibly naive to buy into some random act of generosity."

"Oh, it's not something that would come for free, my dear Emma."

"Right." Emma rolled her eyes. "There's always a price."

"I would think this one to be most reasonable. After all, if you take into account the rest of the Kingdom, you might need someone else to rule along with you, wouldn't you say?" Regina smiled as she sauntered closer to Emma again. "I could show you a thing or two on how to rule a Kingdom. I could even try to teach you magic, if you would be patient enough to learn it."

Emma thought briefly about the prospect of more power, of finally being crowned Queen. Of getting rid off her parents and their clique of goody-two-shoes followers and her lips slowly curled into a wicked grin. "Let's say I'm interested?"

Regina chuckled knowingly. "Then let's say I know a thing or two on how to help you get rid of a certain pesky parent problem."

Emma didn't respond at first, but then, ever so slowly, her eyes twinkled and her grin grew.


End file.
